There were about fifteen
million people living in
Gaul , as the
Romans called what we
know as France (and
parts of Belgium), when
Julius Cęsar arrived in
58 BC to complete the
Roman conquest.
The southern part of
this territory - more or
less equivalent to
modern Provence -
had been a colony since
118 BC and exposed to
the civilizing
influences of Italy and
Greece for much longer. Greek
colonists had
founded Massalia
(Marseille) as far back
as 600 BC. But even the
inhabitants of the rest
of the country, what the
Romans called
"long-haired
Gaul", were far
from shaggy barbarians.
Though the economy was
basically rural, the Gauls
had established large hilltop
towns by 100 BC,
notably at Bibracte near
Autun, where
archeologists have
identified separate
merchants' quarters.
The Gauls also
invented the barrel and
soap and were skilful
manufacturers. By 500 BC
they were capable of
making metal-wheeled
carts, as was proved by
the "chariot
tomb" of Vix
, where a young woman
was found buried lying
on a cart with its
wheels removed and
propped against the
wall. She was wearing
rich gold jewellery and
next to her were Greek
vases and black figure
pottery, dating the
burial at around 500 BC
and revealing the extent
of commercial relations.
Interestingly, too, the
Gauls' money was based
on the gold staters
minted by Philip of
Macedon, father of
Alexander the Great.
